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November 1, 2009

Looking at a Hoarder

New book provides insights into the problem of animal collecting

By Carrie Allan

New book provides insights into the problem of animal collecting

Over the past decade, animal hoarding cases have increasingly made the news—but that may not mean there are more hoarders now than there were 20 years ago. It may simply mean that people have become more aware of hoarding as a community problem, one affecting vulnerable animals and vulnerable people.

That’s a relatively recent viewpoint. The cultural understanding of hoarding has grown, and more communities now realize that intervention in an animal hoarding situation will often require the expertise of multiple agencies and organizations.

The latest contribution to the growing perspective on hoarding is Inside Animal Hoarding: The Case of Barbara Erickson and Her 552 Dogs. The two-part narrative—the first written by a social worker, reporting on a particular Oregon hoarding case, the second by a sociologist who provides a broader perspective on that case and the general issue—is a compelling read.